Man City 3-1 Club Brugge: Pep Guardiola's side come from behind to qualify for Champions League play-off
Man City 3-1 Club Brugge: Pep Guardiola's side come from behind to qualify for Champions League play-off
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Manchester City have qualified for the Champions League play-off round after coming from behind to beat Club Brugge. Facing elimination from European competition altogether, City knew nothing less than victory would be enough and for 52 minutes they were on the brink before Pep Guardiola intervened with a half-time substitution.
Prior to kick-off, an area outside the Etihad Stadium was evacuated after a merchandise stand caught fire. The blaze broke out shortly before 6pm, close to where Guardiola's side had been due to enter the stadium at around 6.30pm. Supporters had gathered in the area for a pre-match entertainment show which included on-stage interviews with January signings Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov. However, the event was suspended as flames took hold of the stand and stewards moved fans away before fire services arrived on the scene.
The area was quickly evacuated by stewards and security staff and a fire engine was on the scene within minutes and the fire was soon brought under control. Fortunately, there was no delay to kick-off but the hosts made a slow start. Aside from Ilkay Gundogan seeing a goal disallowed, correctly, for offside, City failed to serious test Simon Mignolet in the Club Brugge net.
In fact, the visitors carried the greater threat in the first-half and it was no surprise that they took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Winning the ball on the edge of their own area, the ball was swept out to Ferran Jutgla who easily skipped past Matheus Nunes before his deflected cross fell kindly for Raphael Onyedika whose effort whistled past Ederson and into the back of the net.
